bandstand on the pier
by Suk-fong
Summary: Annie Cresta does distance. Finnick Odair only does sprints. Annie Cresta doesn't care. Or the one time Annie had sex with Finnick and regretted it.


_I'm begging you for some sign, but you've still got nothing to say_  
_Don't turn your back on me, don't walk away_  
_I'm a better man now than I was that day_

_Let's go down to the bandstand on the pier_  
_Watch the drunks and the lovers appear_  
_To take turns as the stars of the Sovereign Light Café_

Sovereign Light Cafe by Keane

* * *

On October 17 Annie Cresta made the biggest mistake of her life.

She slept with Finnick Odair.

Don't get her wrong, it was good. It was great sex, and in fact she was almost positive she was ninety percent sober.

She knew exactly what she was doing.

And Finnick drank like a fish, but she knows when he is drunk, and twenty-two year old Finnick Odair was not drunk.

So there is no excuse, except what Johanna called about three years of building sexual tension that exploded over a game of beer pong at Finnick and Gale's apartment.

She really wants to disagree.

But there has always been a weird relationship between her and Finnick.

* * *

He was in second year when she was in first year, and the only new girl to join the swim team. She also swam distance, instead of the sprints he did.

And when he asked her why she swam distance, when Johanna was waiting to grab coffee before their pop culture class, it's almost a disaster.

'Distance is what I like. Putting effort into something, it takes a lot of dedication, and it's hard and sometimes I want to give up, but when you make it to the end, it's the greatest feeling ever.' She told him, before realizing that he does the short one hundred and two hundred metres. She had to backtrack and it's far from graceful. 'Not that sprints aren't hard, I'm sure they are. And they need a lot of work too. Just…not…my thing.' She floundered, shrugging.

'You've never done the sprint?' Finnick asked, moving a bit too close for her, looking at her like she's a peculiar person.

And she is, because she's too tiny for all the hair that is in constant messy loose waves that cover her breasts and when straightened almost reaches the small of her back.

'Once or twice in high school.' She told him, wringing her hair, trying to get the water out. 'It just wasn't my thing.'

He looked at her again, before his smile that apparently charmed every girl into falling into bed with him. She still hasn't figured out what's so good about that smile, he has managed to show off all his teeth nicely though. 'You're a distance girl.'

She nodded then, she had just told him.

Later on the way to class, Johanna commented on the conversation.

'Loads of subtext there.' She said, her fingers wrapped around the Starbucks mug.

'Huh?'

'With Finn.' Another odd part of their relationship, was that she was the only one who ever called him by his full name, Finnick. 'C'mon you guys were totally in metaphor land.'

'We were talking about swimming.' Annie said confused. 'What did you think we were talking about?'

'The other type of swimming.' Johanna grinned, before losing it inspecting her judgingly. 'You know sex? You're not a virgin are you?'

Annie felt like she had flushed bright red from the tips of her toes in the peepshow heels to the top of her head. 'No! I have a boyfriend!'

She has always equated her height and the fact that she looks fourteen with the fact that everyone thinks she is a virgin. She lost it when she was twelve but she doesn't like talking about it.

'A boyfriend?' Johanna whistled, 'Tough luck Odair.'

'Why?' She had asked, before Johanna told her to forget it.

And she did.

* * *

She and Finnick stayed in a very nice friendship, he continued to sleep with whoever he wanted, and while she was never privy to the details of his sex life, and she did notice Finnick seemed to go for blondes, red heads, or brunettes that were very tall and curvaceous.

It was not until second semester when Finnick and she became closer. After Monday and Wednesday morning practise, they both had a mandatory English credit. Finnick had forgotten to take it last year, and so was making the credit up.

Either way, Annie insisted sitting in the front, and Finnick yawning, with a red knit toque had slunk beside her, alternating napping, texting and writing somewhat decent notes.

Somewhere during the semester he had taken to braiding her hair, knotting and unknotting it while his eyes were closed, and she was almost positive he was asleep by how peaceful he seemed.

It was when they were studying for the midterm at Finnick's house, an all-nighter, where Annie wore her glasses and her hair in a giant knot on the top of her head sitting cross legged on the edge of his bed, quizzing Finnick as he paced back and forth, she asked.

'Why do you never wear a shirt?' It's an innocent question, the minute he drove them to his place, he had basically kicked off his shoes, and tossed his keys on his bedside table before pulling off his shirt and grabbing his rather limited notes.

His sea green eyes flashed with something that she doesn't quite know what to call, and his voice dropped a few octaves as he smirked at her. 'Does it distract you?'

'No.' She answered honestly. She swam with him at least five times a week for about two and a half hours each time. Finnick has a brilliant body, but she's seen him shirtless more than not.

'Most girls say yes.' Finnick said dropping down beside her making the bed jump a bit.

Annie shrugged; it was the same with his sexy voice. It was nice, just it didn't feel authentic to her, more forced and what he thought was expected. 'If it were me I would get distracted by your eyes.'

'My eyes?' Finnick repeated, stealing her glasses, as she nodded. 'Shit Annabel you're blind.'

'I know.' She took her glasses back from his face, blinking as his sea green eyes came back to view.

They spent the rest of the night studying, until sometime in the night Annie passed out and she's only a bit surprised when she woke up next to Finnick Odair, her hair in his fingers and her glasses beside both their phones on the bed side table.

They continued their quiet friendship easily, though Annie does not quite understand how their social circles managed to merge. But regardless Annie and her marine biology friends somehow become included into Finnick's Odair's party people. It helps that Johanna and Gale, Finnick's roommate and best friend begin sleeping together.

They aren't dating, even today, Johanna and Gale both insist, but since March of first year, and they're in December of third year now, she has never seen Johanna or Gale even look at another person.

* * *

It's not until the end of year Swim Team party, held at Finnick's that there seems to be cracks in their solid friendship.

Gloss had come up to visit, and she was thrilled to have him meet everyone. She had really missed him, while he was in Europe on exchange.

'Come on Annabel, be my partner!' Finnick had grabbed her arm, and spun her towards the beer pong table, while she was headed to the kitchen to top off her glass of wine. 'Gotta show the new guy home turf advantage.' He smiled at her, and there was less teeth more happiness and she giggled.

'I'm horrible at this.' She told him, throwing the ball and missing wildly.

'Good thing I'm good at it. I can save our game.'

'My hero.' Annie laughed, as Gloss shot the ball. 'Is that my cup?'

'Mhm.' Finnick nodded, the game progressed, and Gloss kept on aiming for her cups. 'C'mon man, get me drunk.'

'Sorry.' Gloss shrugged, with a wicked grin that now Annie can pinpoint as the exact moment cracks were visible. 'But I'm trying to get my girlfriend drunk.'

Finnick's arm which was hanging around her shoulder tightened, and the game is basically a sweep between Gloss and Peeta.

Later, Annie was busy trying to find Finnick to say good night, when she stumbled upon him outside on the porch with a lit cigarette dangling from his fingers and the other hand wrapped around a beer bottle.

'Are you okay?' She asked. Finnick never smoked before, it is horrible for lungs.

It was silent for a long moment and Annie thought she should leave, before he answered her.

'Since when do you have a boyfriend?'

'Since I was sixteen?'

'Why didn't you tell me?'

'It-you never asked.' Annie said confused, thinking about taking a few steps forward but staying put instead. 'And it's not like I ask you about all the girls you sleep with.'

Finnick laughed, it was cold and curt.

'I don't understand why you're mad at me. We're friends. Why are you so upset I have a boyfriend?'

'Right.' Finnick said coldly, and it felt like he slapped her. 'We're friends.'

Finnick didn't talk to her the entire summer.

* * *

It is in September of second year, over Skype in the living room of the nice flat in the hipster part of town she and Johanna live in that Gloss and her end their almost three year relationship. It just wasn't going to work, with Gloss overseas, and Annie firmly rooted on the other side of the Pacific Ocean.

Johanna asked her if she wanted to cry, Gale fiddled with his phone and said he was going to get ice cream.

'I'm fine.' Annie said, from her place on the floor, her MacBook sitting closed beside her. 'We knew it had to end.'

'Why is that?' Johanna asked, playing with her hair. Neither of them looked up when Gale returned with vanilla ice cream, and Finnick.

'I loved Gloss.' Annie said easily, as Finnick sat beside her, using the back of the couch as a back rest and opening the tub of ice cream. 'But I wasn't in love with him. It wasn't like I needed him to breathe.'

'That sounds unhealthy.' Gale remarked, trying to get some ice cream on his spoon, but Finnick kept moving the tub away.

'Yeah.' Annie agreed. 'But I think when I fall in love, it will be hopelessly in love and it will be like everything becomes better. And I will try to be better.'

'Me too.' Finnick said, and she turned to look at him.

They watched bad horror movies that made her scream, and Finnick kept braiding her hair.

Finnick's phone kept buzzing.

* * *

They were three hundred miles away from campus, for a swim meet, and she had managed to make the top eight for the four hundred metre the next morning and she was exhausted.

Finnick was also in the top eight the next day for the one hundred and two hundred butterflies and freestyle.

On the drive down, Finnick had stuffed one of his law textbooks in her backpack, because he had no room in tiny suitcase for it, and he had asked for it when Annie checked her phone wearing a pink sports bra and sweat pants.

Dutifully, Annie padded barefoot to Finnick's room across the hall. Only three other people qualified for the next day, so everyone else went out.

'Don't you ever where shirts?' Finnick teased, when he opened the door to let her in.

'Too much effort.' Annie said, flopping down on her stomach on the hotel bed. 'Arms hurt too much.'

The whole bed moves as he stretched out, and chuckled. She likes his laugh, his real one. The one he does around Gale, and apparently her too. It's uninhibited, and a tad sarcastic.

'That's what you get for being a distance.'

She claimed a pillow, happy and not planning on moving for a while. 'Better rewards. Sense of accomplishment.'

She thought she heard Finnick agree with her, but honestly she fell asleep so she's not too sure what he said.

The day of finals, is one where she was feeling very numb.

Pressure is not her friend, and for some reason it felt much harder to sit on the bench while Finnick swam. She kept on clench and unclenching her fingers, trying to keep her jitters under wrap. She is never one to show her emotions on her face wildly, but from the photos taken she looks anxious and excited.

Finnick came first, and she jumped and hugged people on the bench before Finnick came to her sopping wet and spun her around.

She had laughed and hugged him tightly.

'You did it! You actually did!' He just won regionals, and now he got to advance to nationals, and everyone knew if you medaled at Nationals, you had the Olympic and professional world's eyes. 'You did it!'

Finnick laughed, and it was low and in her ear, and it was different from his real laugh, and different from his fake laugh. She had no clue how to classify it, because there is something distinctly male to it. 'Why Miss Annabel you seem so shocked. Didn't you have any faith in me?'

'Yes!-It's just-well.' She sputtered for words, and Finnick laughed again, spinning her around before putting her down and accepting the congratulations from the rest of the people.

Getting ready by the edge of the pool, is always an odd flip flop of the stomach. She hates the wait, and wants the water.

The gun went off, and she was in. And time blurred, because even though Annie knew she had to win, that this was competition, she always swims her way.

She set her pace, and she wasn't in first, and the water made it hard to hear who was yelling or who was ahead.

Her limbs started to burn the way they always do near the end, and she kept count of the laps. It was the last twenty metres , and everything hurt. But she just needed to push, one more stroke, one more kick and then, then she touched the side of the pool.

She pulled herself out, 0.12 seconds ahead of the next girl, and she's won. She won regionals in the four hundred metre, and it's a bizarre out of body experience.

Her name was on the scoreboard, and Finnick was suddenly everywhere. He hugged, and spun her around and her hugged her close.

'You did it Annie.' He whispered, 'You won.' There's a slight pressure on her head, and later, when she told Johanna she realized he kissed her, but at that moment, she's still in disbelief, and a sort of stunned silence.

And it's Finnick whose hand was on her waist somehow- looking back she still doesn't know how it got there, or why she didn't move it away- who led her around, who got onto the podium because she is only in second year, and that was a huge upset.

Finnick's gone to Nationals before, he didn't place but he sure got noticed. No one talks about it, but everyone has seen the emails and letters from Nike wanting to sponsor him when he goes pro.

She still doesn't know if Finnick wants to go pro, or not. She suspects he doesn't know either.

In fact she knows that he learnt to swim to pass time, and he just kept on doing it and somehow he got a full athletic scholarship.

She never knows with Finnick if he's actually serious about something, or if he's just doing things to pass time.

* * *

Nationals is a bit of a disaster, she didn't make it to the top eight, and is completely forgotten as Finnick won Nationals. And this time, there are too many people and barriers and press for her to hug him, so she texted him congratulations and slipped out of the pool before it became even more of a madhouse.

It was much later at the hotel pool, that he found her.

'You left.' The pool was tiny, and was over chlorinated, his voice echoed and it sounded disappointed.

'You seemed busy.' She shrugged, her toes dangling in the pool, 'And I couldn't hop the barrier and jump on you like before.'

'Why not?' She looked at him and he had an unreadable expression on his face, and he reminded her of a toddler constantly wanting to know why thinks didn't go how he wanted it.

'Because there are rules Finnick. We have to follow them. Also you had interviews and photographs and that means you had to pay attention to them. I didn't want to bother you.'

'Well I wanted you there.' Finnick said crossly, sitting down beside her. There's a stark contrast in their skin, he was much more tan. But Finnick is from Newport and Annie is from San Fransico.

'Next time.' She promised. 'When you win Nationals next year, or win Gold at the Olympics I will jump the barrier to congratulate you.'

She was joking, but the odd look on Finnick's face made her a bit unsure.

He held out a pinky, 'Promise?'

'Promise.' She said, without a trace of disbelief.

She highly doubted he would hold her to that.

* * *

Over the summer, she really couldn't escape him.

He texted her at five in the morning, when he went to surf, and then when she replied at the more human hours, they were texting throughout the day.

He drove up at least twice a month to come hang out in San Francisco, and whined until she came to Newport a few times over the summer.

She met his grandmother, Mags, his only living relative as his parents died in a car accident when he was five, and she visited their graves with him.

'_Jesus it's like you're fucking dating him_.' Johanna said over Skype, she was back in Minnesota for the summer.

'It's not like that.' Annie said, trying to explain overtop the mug she had found at a flee market with Finnick the weekend prior. 'It's just…nice hanging out. It's nothing more. I mean it's Finnick. He hasn't even tried to kiss me.'

'_Well it's not like he's kissing anyone else either.' _

'What?'

Johanna nodded, with an expression she doesn't quite like on her face. _'Yeah. Finn hasn't had sex in like almost a year. Gale told me that like the only girls he talks to are girls on the team, me, girls at work and you. And like ninety-nine percent of the females he's talking to are single. Also you two are his cover photo.'_

'We are?'

She clicked onto Facebook, and Johanna was right. It was at the team barbeque, earier in June. Finnick is smiling at the camera, all pretty-boy suave, one arm casually drape over her shoulder, the other hand nursing a beer. She is holding a sparkler, smiling softly looking not directly at the camera, but beyond that.

'We are.'

'_Yup. And no bullshitting me Annie.'_ Johanna said. _'Can you look at that and tell me you two don't look like a fucking couple?'_

The conversation with Johanna is something she flipped over and over in her mind, examining it from all possible angles. There are two possibilities, one is that Finnick likes her, and the other is that he just likes that photo. And Finnick is not someone who is subtle and waits for a girl to fall in love with him. He goes in for the kill and moves on.

And so, the only answer is that Finnick likes the photo.

When she's flipping through photos on Facebook, she finds a photo of them in Newport, that she doesn't remember it being taken. They're on the beach, she's trying to hold a surfboard and he's laughing at her, and it's a nice picture. She makes it her cover photo.

When she wakes up, she gets fifteen notifications of people liking it, Finnick included.

She also gets a text from Johanna.

**[SMS]** _knew it._

* * *

Third year comes and falls into a weird routine.

Every morning in the weekday, she wakes up at five and goes to school for practise, before Finnick drives them back to either her apartment or his for breakfast, and then he drives her back to campus for class, and they might meet up for coffee. But she always sees Johanna in between classes and at the library.

And every Wednesday night the four of them catch up on Breaking Bad, because Annie never watched the show and Gale has Netflix.

Thursdays are just Johanna and Annie a bottle of wine and the Vampire Diaries.

Fridays she spends with Finnick and a revolving door of other people. Sometimes Finnick and her stay in, study or play video games, other times they go out to parties, or the bar, or the movies.

Saturday is the time where she studies. She wears her sweat pants and her glasses with her hair in a giant bun on her head. Sometimes Finnick is around, studying with her. Sometime she's not.

Sunday is the day she goes and explores with Johanna, they just try to find new places.

She likes her routine.

Which is why, when Gale and Finnick decide to throw a party on a Saturday her routine is destroyed. She has to wear jeans and a bra, and she sips wine in the corner, only dragged to the beer pong table when Finnick is insisting.

They end up playing only one game, before she pulls on his sleeve and tells him she's going to go to bed, because she's tired. He nods, and finishes his beer and follows her up to his room.

'You look tired.' Finnick says, flopping onto his unmade bed.

'It was study night. I didn't wanna wear makeup or pants.' She complains, rummaging through her bag, find her contacts case. 'I didn't wanna drink either.'

'Well you didn't have to come.' He sounds mad, and she doesn't look as she switches to her glasses.

'No I did.'

'Why?'

'Because you wanted me to.' She shrugs, sitting on the edge of his bed. 'And you're important.'

And suddenly his hand is on her chin, tipping it up and he is kissing her.

'Oh.' She inhales, he is so close she can count every single eye lash framing his very green eyes.

'Yeah.' Finnick exhales, and she tries to guess the emotions flickering in his eyes, and she wonders what her eyes are saying as well.

It doesn't matter because when he kisses her, she forgets to breathe.

And it's so fast, but she feels like time has stopped as Finnick learns her body more intimately than anyone else has.

She reciprocates, tracing the lines of his body, kissing everywhere she can.

It's almost awkward, the first time their bodies sliding trying to find how they fit together.

But when they finally fit, it's magical.

Her nails drag down his back, and his lips mouth her neck, their hands are entwined and he is looking at her like she is the most precious person in the world when she sees fireworks on her eyelids.

In the morning, she wakes up first, naked and cuddle up beside Finnick.

And Annie knows she has made a big mistake.

So she gets dressed and leaves.

* * *

It's six oh four in the morning when Annie gets into her apartment. She places her phone in the refrigerator and goes into her room and sits on her bed.

She had sex with Finnick.

She had sex with Finnick.

No matter how many times she repeats it, it does not make her feel better.

Everything is ruined. She has lost her best friend, and the one person she tells everything to. And she hasn't a clue how to fix this problem.

Because they can't go back to whatever they were.

Sex changes everything, and she will admit that she would like to have sex with him again.

But she can't.

She can't because Finnick has never had a relationship beside casual sex and Annie isn't someone who has casual sex.

Johanna kicks open her door at four in the afternoon, when she has made herself a little cuddle nest. Her blanket over her head and she has sad music playing.

'What the fuck did you do?' She growls, looking pissed off and angry and sad. She's almost surprise at how emotional Johanna is, she never thought she would care.

'I had sex with Finnick.'

'No shit.' Johanna spits, 'Why the fuck did you leave?'

'Because it was a mistake.' She says simply.

Johanna looks at her like she's an idiot. 'Why the fuck was it a mistake?'

'Because Finnick doesn't want to date me.'

'Fucking bullshit.'

'No Jo it's not.' Annie feels angry, because she's tired of people telling her that what she's feeling is bullshit. 'It's not. It's true. Finnick Odair doesn't do relationships. He does one night stands, with girls who are tall and pretty, and only want to sleep with him because it's Finnick Odair. And actually, Jo, you could some form of supportive because this sucks. It sucks because he makes me feel all weird and I like it but it's never going to happen. So if you can't be helpful then just shut up and leave me alone.'

She doesn't know when her voice became shaky or she started to cry, because she is more focused on the fact that she has just realize that she wants to date Finnick and it hurts.

It hurts a lot.

Johanna just stands there for several minutes before she sits on the bed and pulls the blankets over her.

It hurts, going through the next two weeks without her phone, without Facebook or twitter. She avoids him like the plague, because now that she knows what she wants she also knows what she can't have and it hurts a lot more than it should.

Finnick doesn't contact her either.

* * *

Life goes on.

And if Annie can't breathe during practise because she sees Finnick, she doesn't tell anyone.

It's not until the last practise before winter exams that Finnick and her talk. She's doing another lap around the pool, and he's matching her stroke by stroke.

It surprises her, but she's curious to see how long he gets tired matching her. He doesn't have the endurance or the stamina to do distance.

It's almost an hour later, when she's winded that she stops, and Finnick is still matching her.

'I thought you did sprints.' She says, lifting herself on the edge of the pool. 'Better pay off and all that?'

Her voice echoes around the pool. It's the first time they've talked in month.

'Yeah.' He says shortly. 'But someone told me distance was all about commitment. And it's worth it, sticking with it.'

'Are you changing then?' She asks, 'I'm not sure if Coach will be happy with his star sprinter suddenly swimming distance.'

Apparantly it's the wrong thing to say, because there's a look of amusement on Finnick's face.

'Were you really bad at English? Or were you always that literal?' He asks.

'Yes?' She cocks her head, wringing the water out of her hair. 'I hate it when people talk in riddles and never say what they mean. Everything gets so complicated and its frustrating.'

Finnick laughs, and she doesn't think he thinks what she says is funny. 'Yeah. It gets super frustrating when you finally get the nerve to kiss the girl you've liked for almost three years, and then have her pretend like you don't exist for three months.'

'Oh.' She flushes red, and tries to think of something to say. She fails.

'Yeah.'

'But I'm not...I'm not pretty or funny. I'm awkward and I don't like the music you listen to or laugh at all of your jokes, because you make bad ones. I don't like chick flicks and I cry over Disney. And I don't like dancing or tequila. Or actually not wearing clothing. Or heels. And I'm short. I'm not like them.' It comes out rushed, and there's undertones of "Why me?" but she never actually gets to ask it because Finnick's already started to answer her.

'I don't understand chemistry. And the weird documentary about medicine you watch on Discovery creep me the fuck out. I don't like The Trews or the weird hipster music. I hate sushi, because food should not be raw. I don't understand why the hell you like Playstation, and even more why you like Princess Peach. You always steal my hoodies, and you don't like Eddie Murphey movies. You love watching horror movies and you won't talk to anyone when Shark Week's on. You drink decaf coffee, and hate cats.'

'I don't get it.'

Finnick lifts himself out of the pool, so he's beside her.

'They make it easy in the movies.' He mutters.

'Would you like me to push you in the water so you can pretend it's rain?'

He laughs, and it's actually his real laugh. She beams.

'Look it sucks when we don't talk. I hate it. I miss breakfast and Breaking Bad. I miss arguing over what we could rename colours and trivia nights, although I am positive you are cheating. I miss going to the museum with sketchbooks and trying to draw the paintings with dicks somewhere hidden. I miss you really weird alarm clock. And I… fuck.' Finnick says, his hands in his hair and he looks nervous. She reaches over and rearranges his hair. He captures her hand and threads their fingers together. ' Yeah, okay I am not the person who is good at relationships. I've never had one longer than three months. And believe me, I didn't think I would want one. With anyone. Not just you. Not that you aren't fucking beautiful-you are. No it's just, you're the type of girl you want to marry and live happily ever after. And that freaks the fuck out of me. Because I'm twenty-two. My biggest goal is to graduate and Olympics. And probably law school. But other than that I have no clue. And then you come along and fucking…and you had a boyfriend and that just…god….'

'I don't know what you're saying.' She says honestly.

'I'm fucking this up aren't I?'

'You're doing it better than me.' She says, because they both know she wouldn't even have this conversation.

'I've never wanted a relationship before you.' Finnick says, looking her straight in the eyes, squeezing her hand tightly. 'And I probably won't one after you. Because I don't want an after you. I want a you and a me. And the Olympics. But you over the Olympics. '

Her breathe catches in her throat. 'Are you sure?'

Before he can finish saying yes, she kisses him.

And they fall into the pool.

* * *

**A/N:** Someone I can't remember who, wrote this lovely story about Annie and Finnick on the swim team, and how Annie does distance.

That resonated with me so clearly, that I had to write this.

All metaphorical and such.

Whoever wrote that, thank you. I truly loved it.

My tumblr where more Odesta stuff is posted, including all of my Odesta works is seevikifangirl


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